The Boy and the Galvan
by AnimationNut
Summary: Ben is a boy who is still fitting into the shoes meant for a true hero. Azmuth is the creator who is hard to please. Their relationship has been rocky, having its ups and downs. But when it comes down to it, they are fond of each other more then they would care to admit.
1. Snap Goes the Omnitrix

**I do not own the Ben Ten franchise.**

**Snap Goes the Omnitrix**

"_Ben! Get your lousy butt out of bed! We need to get going!"_

The flimsy curtain separating the small cot from the rest of the R.V. was no match for Gwen's shrill holler. Ben gave a groan of annoyance and dismay, burrowing deeper under the warm burgundy blanket and tried to cling to the shreds of darkness that still lingered in his sleepy mind.

"Dweeb, I told you to get up!"

The curtain was flung aside and Gwen, already dressed for the day, glared down at her cousin. Max cast a glance over his shoulder, his hands pausing in the soapy dish water where he was washing the breakfast dishes. "Be nice," he chided. "He had a hard day yesterday."

"From the way he talks about it, fighting five aliens in one day was nothing," the redhead returned. But she attempted a respectable tone as she addressed Ben again. "If you're not ready by eleven, I'm going to miss the opening presentation at the museum."

Ben peeked out from under his covers, his bright green eyes cloudy with sleep. "Wait, what time is it?" He mumbled, too tired to mock Gwen for her nerdiness.

"It's ten," she informed, pointing at the digital clock that was stuffed in the corner of the small bedroom nook.

"Oh." Ben yawned and reluctantly sat up, his brown hair standing on end.

"Well?" Gwen demanded when he made no further effort to leave the bed. "Are you going to move your butt?"

"When I feel like it, bossy-pants," he snapped back, irritated. "I don't even want to go to your stupid museum thing anyway. Who cares about a bunch of dead guys?"

Gwen's eyes grew wide with indigence. Her lips parted to deliver a scathing rebuke to her cousin but Max intervened, placing a sudsy hand on her shoulder to calm her. "History is very important, Ben, no matter how many years pass," he informed sternly. "It's good for us to remember and learn more about it."

"Uh-huh." Ben nodded, his expression making it obvious that he still didn't care. "But why do _I _have to go?"

"Yeah," Gwen suddenly piped up, surprising both her grandfather and cousin. "He's just going to be moping the whole time. And he'll probably do something stupid that will get us kicked out." She turned pleading eyes upon Max. "This will probably be the only chance I get to hear Gregor Hietrich speak. He hardly ever does public appearances and he's my favourite historian!"

"I don't know," Max said slowly. "I don't really want to leave Ben here alone."

"I'm eleven years old," the boy protested. "Besides, even if trouble does happen, I have this." He lifted his left wrist which bore the clunky, green and black piece of alien technology.

Max glanced between his two grandchildren. Gwen was looking hopefully up at him while Ben was already slinking back against his pillow, his eyes half-lidded. "Fine," he conceded. "You can stay here. _But _you're not to leave the Rust Bucket until we get back."

"Got it."

"No battling aliens without me. If it's something that's _really _urgent and can't wait, call."

"Sure thing."

"Yes!" Gwen cheered and latched onto Max's arm, giving it an impatient tug. "Let's get going before the line gets too long!"

Max allowed himself to be dragged away, his gaze lingering on Ben, who was already drifting off to sleep.

_I have a bad feeling about this._

…

It was a good two hours before Ben awoke, his body finally fully rested. With new energy, the boy bounded out of bed and slid into the kitchen. His stomach was growling insistently, demanding it be fed. Ben satisfied his stomach's desire with three bowls of cereal that was covered with more sugar than Max would have allowed.

"I got the whole place to myself!" Ben cheered, practically vibrating as he tossed the now-empty bowl into the sink and bounced on the linoleum floor. "I can-I can-"

He faltered.

Actually, there was nothing _to _do.

The small, cracked television set resting on the rectangular plastic dining table was broken again. He had beaten all of his video games at least five times and read through all of his comic books. Without any alien invasions or tourist trips, he was often bored out of his mind.

"This reeks!" Ben groaned, dropping to the floor with a huff. "I can do whatever I want and there's nothing to do!"

Well, nothing that wouldn't get him grounded in some shape or form, anyway.

It was inevitable that his straying eyes (which were looking for something to entertain him) would fall upon the Omnitrix. The device was a source of constant curiosity, full of mysteries that had yet to be solved. Azmuth was very vague in any explanation he was willing to give the wielder, and even those were few and far in between.

"I wonder…"Ben mused, giving the dial a twist. "…if I can unlock any other kick-butt aliens to add to my team."

Unlocking aliens was his biggest interest. He had no idea how to do it and whenever he _did _get a new alien it was completely by accident or chance. He didn't know exactly how many aliens were contained in the Omnitrix, but he suspected it was a lot.

"Maybe if I turn it this way," he muttered to himself as he played with the device. Silhouettes of his aliens flickered on the green face of the watch but all of them he knew. Frowning slightly, Ben popped the dial up and studied the interlocking green circuitry that was exposed.

Curious as to what was under the dial, Ben gave it a hard yank to see what would be uncovered.

_Snap!_

He was not quite sure what he had broken but at the moment he didn't care. Green volts of electricity were convulsing down his small frame and he writhed on the floor, howls of agony tearing from his throat. The Omnitrix buzzed madly, the green turning into red as the warning signs flashed rapidly. The lights in the Rust Bucket flickered on and off at a dizzying pace as the Omnitrix malfunctioned.

The strap seared into the boy's wrist and Ben let out a scream, tears of pain trailing down his cheeks. His body was jolting and even though his throat was already raw from his powerful screams, he still found the energy to holler the first name that entered his mind.

"_Azmuth! Azmuth!"_

For a brief moment, Ben honestly thought that his efforts were futile. There was no way Azmuth would know of his summons, being thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from Earth.

But then there was a bright flash of light and the Galvan was there, moving quickly over the floor to where Ben lay wriggling in pain. With a quick flick of his fingers the Omnitrix snapped off and clattered to the linoleum, still sparking madly.

Ben went limp, the final tears trailing down his cheeks and a soft whimper escaping his lips. Azmuth found himself panting slightly, his onyx gaze darting between his creation and the wielder. The eyes settled on the eleven year old, who was still trying to catch his breath.

"What happened?"

It was a sharp, demanding request and Ben could hardly blame him. "I…I…I think I broke it," he managed to stutter out, trying to get to his feet.

"Stay down."

Ben obeyed, dropping back down to the floor with a soft moan. Azmuth pressed two of his long fingers against Ben's neck, feeling his pulse beat at a rapid pace. "Keep still. You need to get that heartbeat down to a normal pace."

The young boy pressed his cheek against the cold floor and watched as the Galvan finally went to attend to his device. By this point the sparking had stopped and Azmuth studied it, removing the core and playing around with a few things.

"You snapped the central processor out of place," he finally grumbled, fixing the problem with quick skill. "That's why it nearly electrocuted you to death."

Ben gave a nod, even though he didn't fully understand what he had done. But he knew he probably never would understand how the Omnitrix worked, so it didn't bother him too much. "Sorry."

"What were you doing with it?" Azmuth demanded.

"I was trying to see if I could get new aliens," Ben confessed. "I wanted to see what was under the dial."

"Very delicate material is under the dial," Azmuth shot back. "I keep telling you that this is not a toy! I should have taken the Omnitrix from you when you first discovered it…it's not meant for a child."

"You always say that," Ben managed to retort. "But you let me keep it anyway. Besides, you fixed it."

"And _you _nearly died because of your foolish mistake," he said flatly. "How can you be a hero when you endanger yourself with the very device that is meant to protect the universe?"

Ben faltered at this. It was difficult to argue with the smartest being in five galaxies. "I…I'm trying," he finally said softly. "I just wanted to figure the thing out. Honest."

There was shame shining in his green eyes. As much as Azmuth wanted to be angry with the boy (who never should have gotten his creation in the first place) it was moments like this when the anger ebbed. Ben was pure in his intentions to save people, and beat himself up when he failed. It was the sign of a true hero, and while Ben wasn't the perfect one, he had the makings. Even Azmuth had to admit that.

"The Omnitrix is complicated. There are some things that will be revealed in time, and some things that I will tell you when you're older."

"Okay," Ben agreed reluctantly. Really, he nearly fried the greatest weapon in the universe-even he knew better than to argue with the creator (who had also saved his life). Finally summoning up enough energy, Ben sat up and leaned against the wooden cupboards.

Azmuth hopped onto his shoulder and checked his pulse again. "Yes, you will be fine. There was not enough energy pumped into you to leave permanent damage." He jumped back down and slapped the Omnitrix onto Ben's left wrist. "Don't do it again."

"I won't," he promised. "At least, not intentionally."

Azmuth only arched his brow at this. "Well, if you are done wasting my time, I'll be off. I have a lot of work to do."

"You always have a lot of work to do," the boy muttered under his breath. In a louder tone, he asked, "How did you know I was in trouble?"

"I know when the Omnitrix is malfunctioning, when something is wrong with it," Azmuth replied. "I do keep tabs on it, you know."

The unspoken implication was clear-by keeping tabs on the Omnitrix, Azmuth also kept tabs on Ben.

"Azmuth?"

Teleportation remote in hand, he turned to the eleven year old. The child was smiling sincerely down at him, eyes glimmering with gratitude.

"Thank you. For everything."

A small smile curled across the Galvan's face despite his efforts to keep it at bay.

"You are welcome, Tennyson."

**A collection of one shots featuring the interactions between Ben and Azmuth throughout the years. If you have anything specific you'd like me to write about these two, leave a review and I'll see what I can do.**


	2. A Much Needed Lesson

**I do not own the Ben Ten franchise.**

**A Much Needed Lesson **

The sun was setting by the time Azmuth arrived on primitive planet Earth. The Galvan was engulfed by a warm orange glow as the orb sunk in the horizon, a pleasant evening that he would not get to enjoy. He pocketed his teleportation remote and started across the grassy clearing, where Max's Rust Bucket was parked for the night.

A bright bolt of blue electricity caught his attention and he paused, turning to stare at the source. It hardly surprised him to see Ben Tennyson goofing off as the Conductoid he had deemed Feedback. This was, after all, the very reason he had come to Earth.

Although, if he was to be honest, the _only _reason he ever had for coming to Earth was the young Tennyson.

Shaking his head, Azmuth continued on, leaving the boy to his fun. He reached the door to the R.V. and gave a few knocks. The door opened only a second later and Max peered out in curiosity. "Uh…"

"Down here," he called.

Max glanced down and his eyes widened with surprise. "Azmuth? What are you doing here?"

"Why am I always here?" He returned, pointing in the direction of the abandoned car junkyard where Ben was playing. Max eyed his grandson before letting out a sigh and stepping aside. Azmuth hopped into the Rust Bucket and walked over to the cushioned bench that wrapped around one corner of the R.V.

Gwen glanced up from her novel just as the Galvan got himself seated. "Hi," she greeted. "Are you here about Feedback?"

A slight smile curled across his face. "Ah, so you've noticed as well."

"When the doof used Feedback instead of XLR8 to catch the bank robbers, I figured he was crossing a line," she informed. When her grandfather turned to give her a baffled look, she clarified. "For the past week the only alien Ben's been using is Feedback. And if Azmuth is here, that means that it's unhealthy for Ben to keep using the same alien."

Understanding washed over Max's features. "I see. Do you want me to get him?"

"He'll be here eventually," Azmuth said. "The Omnitrix will time out and he will have no interest in goofing off as any other alien, for his obsession seems to be locked on the Conductoid."

Max nodded and took a seat on the other side of Azmuth. The Galvan tapped his fingers against the worn cushion, in no hurry to confront the eleven-year old boy. He already knew how Ben would take the news and it would end with him storming out in a fit of anger. It was how the boy reacted to unpleasant information and Azmuth doubted he would mature out of the habit anytime soon.

_So why bother coming? _His mind demanded, and immediately began creating a mental list of a dozen other more important things he could be doing at that moment.

Before he could come up with a suitable reason, the thin metal door slammed against the wall and Ben barged into the R.V., hands shoved in his pockets and a lazy expression on his face. Upon spotting his family members and mentor staring at him, Ben's posture instantly stiffened into defense mode.

"We need to talk," Max stated grimly.

Green eyes narrowed, focussing on the Galvan. "About what?"

"About Feedback," his grandfather answered. "You're growing too dependent on him and it isn't healthy."

Ben kept his eyes on Azmuth, but the sudden steel in his gaze indicated that he had heard Max. Azmuth stared coolly at the young boy. "If you keep overusing the Conductoid DNA, it's going to have a detrimental effect on your ability to use other forms."

Fists clenched angrily. "Oh, so now you're telling me that I can't use Feedback anymore?" Ben demanded. "I don't think so!"

He twisted on his heel and stormed out. Gwen frowned in disapproval and hurried after her cousin in the hopes of instilling some common sense. Max rubbed his face tiredly. "I'm sorry, Azmuth."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he dismissed. "This is nothing I didn't expect. In fact, I'd have been terribly surprised if he took this _well._"

"Why didn't you come sooner?" Max wondered. "Normally when something happens to the Omnitrix, you're here in a flash."

A dry smile crossed Azmuth's face. "That is to be expected, isn't it, of someone who has spent centuries working on the perfect creation only to have it fall into the grubby hands of a ten-year old."

Max didn't respond and continued to stare expectantly. Azmuth sighed and said, "I was hoping that he would have enough sense in him to rotate through his aliens. But I should have known better than to expect so much."

The man opened his mouth to respond. But before a syllable could leave his lips a great trembling rocked the Rust Bucket and everything tilted as the Rust Bucket flipped over. Azmuth let out a grunt when his head smacked off the wall as the R.V. slammed to the ground. The cupboards opened up and the contents spilled to the tiled floor with ugly noises.

"I don't suppose this is a result of a tantrum," Azmuth quipped, managing to pull himself into an upright position.

"Not this time," Max answered gravely.

He was about to make his way to the door when the Rust Bucket flew back up and righted itself, sending everything in the mobile home going for another spin. Azmuth dropped to the floor with an annoyed grunt. "This is getting rather tiresome."

"What is going on out there?" Max frowned. He picked Azmuth up and walked over to the window, peering out to see what the cause of the commotion was.

Gwen's scream of horror and Malware's wicked cackle could be heard from inside. Ben, in the form of Feedback, was trapped in Malware's grip. With wide eyes, they could only watch helplessly as Maleware wrapped two fingers tightly around the Omnitrix symbol embedded in Feedback's chest. Red lines raced across Feedback's body and with a mighty rip and a bright flash of red light, Ben was pulled from the form.

"We need to help him!" Max cried.

"No, we don't."

The elderly man stiffened and stared down at the Galvan with disbelief. "Malware just ripped out one of Ben's forms from the Omnitrix! He's harming him _and_ your device!"

"No," he replied, a bit more serenely than Max liked. "He's teaching Ben a much needed lesson."

"Well, this is quite a surprising turn of events," the failed Mechamorph jeered, loud enough for the occupants of the R.V. to hear. He tossed Ben roughly to the ground. "I believe this is your favourite alien form, isn't it, Tennyson? I think it's time you said goodbye."

"_Noooooo!" _Ben screamed, watching in agony as Feedback turned to red dust and tricked lifelessly out of Malware's grasp.

"I have come for Azmuth, and I would like very much to destroy him with his most treasured creation," Malware declared, turning to face Ben. "Give me the Omnitrix."

Tears dripped down Ben's pale face as he staggered to his feet, breath coming out in pants. His chest burned with fury, regret and angst, for the loss of his most beloved form, the form Malware had stolen from him.

"You want the Omnitrix?" He cried, his voice strangled with hatred. With a trembling hand he twisted the dial until the circuitry beneath was exposed, glowing green with energy. _"Take it!"_

He plowed his fist right into Malware's chest with a scream that was mixed with despair and rage. Surprised, Malware stumbled back a few steps from the force of Ben's punch. But the surprise lasted only for a second-soon he was consumed by the delightful power of the Omnitrix.

"Yes! _Yes! _The power of the Omnitrix is finally mine!" Malware cried, relishing in the energy that surged through his programming. "No! Wait! The power is overwhelming me! _Stooooop!"_

And it was when green volts began to crackle and light up the evening air did Max race outside. _"Ben, stop!"_

But Ben eyes were hardened with resolve. He shoved his fist deeper into Malware with a final battle cry. Gwen and Max could only watch in horror as the energy consumed both Ben and Malware, their screams mixing together in a frightening and shiver-inducing duet.

Then Malware exploded, pieces of him flying everywhere. The energy of the Omnitrix condensed into a ball for a split second before it too exploded, sending Ben flying back and crumpling to the ground.

"Ben!" Gwen cried. She and Max raced over to the eleven-year old to see if any harm had befallen him. "Are you okay?"

He could only give the briefest of nods, his head ducked down. "Could you look up for a second, sport?" Max asked gently, wanting to see for himself the state of Ben's health.

The boy continued staring at the ground, body trembling with emotion. He discovered that he _couldn't _look up, didn't want to, for he knew what he would see-Azmuth's disappointed, and most likely annoyed, gaze. He had disobeyed yet another order from the Galvan and was facing the consequences of his arrogance. Feedback was gone, probably forever, and it was all his-

A warm hand settled on his shoulder but Ben rejected the attempt of comfort, shrugging it off and staggering to his feet. Before anyone could say anything he was charging across the grass and towards the dense forest, tears flowing down his cheeks and his breath coming out in choked gasps.

He ignored the pleas for him to come back and continued running, sneakers pounding against the muddy forest floor. He smacked tree branches out of his way and stumbled over roots. The toe of his shoe caught on the edge of a stone and he slammed into the ground, where he did not make a further move to get up.

For what seemed like forever, the only sounds in the forest were the sounds of his distressed sobbing. And then it was broken by a familiar, no-nonsense voice saying, "You will stop this foolishness this instant."

Slowly, Ben lifted his head from his arms and turned it slightly so that the side of his head was resting against the crook of his arm. Guilt and shame swept through him as his shiny emerald gaze locked with Azmuth's cool onyx stare. "Have you come to say I told you so?" Ben asked bitterly, the final tears snaking along his pale cheeks.

"I should," he agreed. "But I won't. Merely because I fear you will start your blubbering all over again."

A scowl crossed Ben's features. "What? I'm not allowed to cry now?"

"You are allowed to, but that doesn't mean you should." Azmuth folded his hands behind his back. "Crying is not going to change anything that just happened."

"But I just lost Feedback!" Ben said, his voice trembling slightly. "How am I supposed to react to that?"

"With anger, I suppose. But not tears. You need to remember that your alien forms are _not _real."

A steeliness replaced the tears. "They're real to me. They're more than just alien forms. They're a _part _of me. When Feedback turned to dust, it felt like something inside me turned to dust with him."

Azmuth could not help but feel a flare of admiration at the firmness in the boy's tone. Ben had always held an affection for his aliens, one that he could not fathom, as the forms were only shadows of their species.

"Feedback was important to you, then?" He asked casually.

Hesitantly, Ben eyed him before giving a slow nod, unsure of where his mentor was going. "Well," Azmuth continued, "you can take something away from this."

"What?" Ben asked, baffled.

"You have lost, Ben Tennyson."

"_That's _what I'm supposed to take away from this whole mess?" Ben demanded, annoyance and frustrating creeping into his voice.

"Yes. It is not often that you lose, is it?"

"N-no," he admitted, brow creasing as he thought. "No, I don't lose often."

"Then how are you supposed to learn anything if you keep winning?"

Blinking, Ben sat up and stared at the Galvan for a long moment. Azmuth did not interrupt the silence, only watching the deep, speculative expression on the child's face. "I guess I don't," he finally replied. "Learn, I mean. But…what am I supposed to learn from this?"

"That, Tennyson, is for you to discover. Even if it takes you a few years."

There was something in his voice, something that told Ben that it probably _would _take him a while to understand the lesson from this whole disastrous event. And that that was okay. He still felt horrible about letting Feedback down. He would feel horrible for a long time. But Azmuth had a knowing glint in his gaze, a glint that promised that everything would work out in the end.

"Azmuth? I'm sorry," the boy apologized softly. "I should have listened to you."

"You should have," Azmuth replied, twisting on his heel and beginning to walk away. "But it's not me you should be apologizing too."

Grief consumed the eleven-year old once more and he gave a nod, even though the departing Galvan wasn't watching. In a quiet voice, he murmured, "I'm sorry, Feedback."

"Tennyson? Are going to continue lying in the mud like an uncivilized urchin or are you going to come and go soothe your grandfather's worries?"

"Coming!" Ben called and scrambled to his feet.

Even if he didn't quite understand Azmuth's words about learning a lesson from losing, that was okay. What mattered was that Azmuth was still there by his side, and so long as the Galvan stayed there, everything would be fine.


	3. Dealing With the Hatred of a Hero

**I do not own the Ben Ten franchise.**

**Dealing With the Hatred of a Hero**

"Mommy, look! It's Ben Ten! He's-!"

A sharp hiss cut off the little boy's excited chatter. Ben turned around in time to see a mother hustling the confused blonde boy down the sidewalk, a glare over her shoulder as they went. Irritated, he turned around and gripped the cardboard smoothie cup, slouching against the stone wall that divided Mr. Smoothie's courtyard area from the main street.

"What's her problem?" He grumbled under his breath. "It's not like I'm gonna containment her kid or anything. It's a watch, not a disease."

But he knew that wasn't the problem-at least, not all of it.

Ever since the world found out his true identity, every adult in Bellwood (with the exception of a select few) gave him nasty looks as he walked down the street and guarded the children as if he would snatch them away at any moment.

It was highly annoying.

"'scuse me?"

Startled from his brooding, Ben glanced up to see a little redhead girl smiling shyly at him. "Are you the monster boy?"

He opened his mouth to correct the girl, that they were aliens, _not _monsters. But her earnest gaze stopped him. "Yeah," he agreed. "That's me." Really, she probably didn't even know the difference between monsters and aliens.

"Could you change into the big doggie for me?" She asked hopefully. "Please?"

Hesitating, his emerald eyes darted up and down the street in search for angry parents storming towards him. "I suppose," he finally said. It wasn't often kids got close enough to make such requests and he really didn't want to disappoint a fan.

But as he twisted the dial of the Omnitrix, he realized that it had been a while since he turned into Wildmutt. "Please don't mess this up," he pleaded softly to the alien device. The last thing he needed was to traumatize the girl.

He slapped the dial down and in seconds he transformed into the orange-furred beast, snorting madly. The girl beamed in delight and happily patted his head. Wildmutt rumbled in pleasure and nudged against her hand.

"_Melissa! Get away from that freak!"_

The purse came from out of nowhere, slamming into the side of Wildmutt's face with such force that it sent him toppling back in surprise, creating a sizable crack in the stone wall. Indigent, he hit the Omnitrix symbol embedded in his chest, reverting back to a sixteen-year old.

"What do you have in that thing, lady?" Ben snapped, rubbing his cheek. "Dumbbells?"

"How dare you come near my child?!" The woman hissed, collecting her daughter close. "I should report you!"

"First of all, _she _came up to _me_. Second of all, I'm a _hero_. The greatest hero in the universe! I shouldn't have to take junk like this. You should be _thanking _me."

"Excuse me, young man! Who do you-"

"I'm Ben Tennyson!" The wielder snapped, climbing to his feet. "I'm the guy who saves this town on a regular basis! If it weren't for me, you'd probably be six feet under by now!"

The words left his tongue before he could halt them. Not wanting to be struck again, he hastily turned on his heel and stormed away, knowing he had crossed a line. But he needn't have worried-the woman was too furious to speak and Melissa waved happily after him. "Bye bye, monster boy! Thank you for showing me the doggie!"

_I wish everyone could be like her, _Ben thought ruefully as he rounded the corner, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. _And I don't understand why they're not._

He didn't understand the glares of distrust, the bitter comments, and the slander that was on the news twenty-four/seven. When his identity had been a secret, he hadn't received as much hate as he was getting now. So what was the difference between the anonymous aliens and Ben Tennyson, the guy who turned into them?

Frustrated, he glared at the Omnitrix. "You know, sometimes you're more trouble than you're worth." He gave the dial a sharp smack to vent his emotions and the hit caused the Omnitrix to enter call mode.

"_Please state name of being you wish to contact."_

"Azmuth."

It was funny, when he thought about it later, that Azmuth was the answer to that question. When he hadn't meant to call anyone at that time, the name of the Galvan spilled from his lips. If he were being honest with himself, he would admit that he had wanted to speak with his mentor for a while, ever since his true identity was revealed.

But he knew Azmuth would only roll his eyes and say he was behaving childishly. And oddly enough, more often than not, those words were a comfort. It meant that whatever he was worrying about wasn't anything he should be concerned with.

After a few rings, Azmuth's voice drifted from the small speakers attached to the sides of the watch. "What do you want, Tennyson?"

Well, that oh-so familiar irritated tone never stopped him before. "Azmuth, do you have a moment?"

"For what?"

"I want to talk."

"I don't have _time _for small talk, Tennyson. I am a busy-"

"Azmuth, please." The emotional exhaustion of the whole ordeal finally caught up and he felt no shame when his voice fell to a desperate plead. "Please?"

A silence ensued and for a moment Ben feared that the Galvan would reject him at a time where he needed him most.

"Alright, Ben," the Galvan finally answered, soothing the boy's worries. "We'll talk."

A bright blue light engulfed him for a moment and when the light faded he was standing in the vast laboratory that was Azmuth's. The genius was currently tinkering with something, his multiple-use remote lying on the lab table. Ben carefully took a seat by the high rise windows, crossing his legs and making sure not to jostle anything.

It only took a few minutes for Azmuth to finish up whatever he was doing and he turned around, brushing his hands against his robes. "Well?"

So many questions bounced through Ben's mind. He didn't know where to start, didn't even know how to form his emotions into words in a way Azmuth would understand. But then, just as Azmuth's brow began to arch in slight impatience, the boy asked, "Do you hate me?"

The brow arched higher, this time in bafflement. He was about to dismiss the foolishness of the question (after all, if he hated Ben, the Omnitrix wouldn't still be in his possession) but the desperate shine in those emerald eyes caused him to falter. Something was troubling his wielder, and for Ben to come to him instead of Max, it meant he ought to take the matter seriously.

"No, Ben. I do not hate you."

Rather than cheering up at this, like Azmuth expected, Ben gave a small frown. "Then…why does everybody else?"

Ah. Now it made sense.

The revelation of Ben's identity had brought about mixed reactions from the people of Earth. That much the Galvan knew. But from the child's current behaviour, it seemed that the reactions were more negative than positive.

"I cannot speak for anyone else, Ben."

"I know. But…I mean, you made the Omnitrix." Ben fiddled with the device on his wrist and for once Azmuth did not berate him for it. "If the creator of the Omnitrix likes me, why can't everyone else?"

"Your logic is severely flawed," Azmuth said bluntly. Ben looked at him in confusion and he elaborated. "Just because I happen to have a positive regard for you doesn't mean any other human should. It's much more complex than that."

"Okay, yeah, they may not _know _you like me, but they should at least trust that I've been entrusted with the Omnitrix for a reason. That should be enough to stop them from cursing me as I walk down the street."

"You hardly make a good impression," Azmuth said flatly.

Ben screwed his face up. "I was about to blow up along with the universe. You can hardly fault me for banging you up a bit-you were being impossible."

"Such as you are on a constant basis."

The teenager was about to retort when he recalled his earlier remarks to the mother of Melissa. Remarks that she had not deserved, and an arrogance he should not have. "As always, you're right," he grumbled and rested his chin in his hands. "Maybe I didn't make the best impression on them. But I _save _them. I don't understand why they distrust me so much! I'm a hero."

"No. You're a child," Azmuth corrected. "If you were an adult, would _you _trust your life in the hands of a boy who has yet to make it through puberty?"

"I…guess not," Ben agreed slowly. "But I would change my mind after I saw what a good job was being done."

"Would you trust a device, a device that Earth technology will not be able to accomplish for hundreds of years, that has the ability to turn anyone into an alien?"

"Depends on who's using it."

"Ah. Do these people know you, Ben Tennyson?"

Surprised, Ben stared at Azmuth for a moment. "No," he finally said. "They don't know me at all."

"Couple that with fear of something they don't understand, and you're going to have to work to win the public over."

Ben mulled this over. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I overreacted…"

"You always do." Azmuth paused for a moment before addressing the issue that had unsettled him since the reason for the teen's visit became clear. "Ben, you cannot expect everyone to like you. It is unrealistic."

"I don't expect everyone to like me," he corrected. "I just…expect to be able to walk around my own town without feeling like someone's glare is going to burn my flesh."

"What you expect and what people deliver are not always the same. If the adult population of Bellwood never warms up to you, then that is how it is, and you will take it like a man instead of fretting over it like an insecure child. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Ben responded automatically. An embarrassed flush crept up his neck. "I…I'm sorry for bothering you. You have more important things to deal with than my teenage hormones."

"I suppose it couldn't be helped," Azmuth replied dismissively.

If he were to be honest, he had grown worried when the boy's tone, which was almost always full of confidence, had turned desperate and almost broken. The reason for his distress was entirely infantile, but Ben was always a bit too concerned with the trivial and unimportant matters of life. He never did know how to properly express his emotions, and the only way for him to calm down from an emotional high was to discuss them with someone.

Which reminded him…

"Why did you not speak to your grandfather about this?" Azmuth asked. He knew the boy held affection for him, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't hold some affection for the boy as well. But he didn't think that Ben would ever come to him before going to Max.

The sudden question caught Ben by surprise, but only for a moment. He smiled. "Grandpa's great to talk to. But sometimes, he doesn't quite tell me what I need to hear. You always tell me things straight up, whether I want to hear it or not. I appreciate that-even if I don't always act like I do."

Azmuth stared at the wielder for a moment before he shook his head, a smile of his own curling across his face.

Yes, his fondness for Ben had only accumulated over the years, starting as spark on that fateful day the ten-year old burst into his compound with demands and orders. But he wouldn't tell Tennyson that.

It would only inflate his ego, and _that _would defeat the purpose of this entire conversation.


End file.
